Sheet-metal sign



l(No Model.)

J. MEYER.

SHEET METAL SIGN.

No.1369,955. Patented Sept. 13, 1887.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT Orrrcn.

JOHN MEYER, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

SHEET-METAL SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,955, dated September 13I 1887.

Application filed November 8, 1886. Serial No. 5218.259. (No model.)

.To all whom, t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN MEYER, a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal Signs, of which the following is a specification.

The object of myinvention is to produce cheap sheet-metal signs for advertising purposes; and it consists in the novel means, hereinafter described and claimed, whereby I am enabled to raise from a single sheet ornamental designs or characters in alto-rilievo,to be subsequently painted or colored or finished. l The invention will be first fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and particularly referred to and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure lis an elevation of a brewers sign made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a stamping-press, which l use in forming up the designs. Fig. 4 is a trans Verse vertical section of the anvil and die of the same before the male die is set firmly to its place against the platen of the drop.

In practicing my invention I first model the design in alto-rilievo, using clay or other suitable material. From this model a duplicate is cast in plaster-of-paris, and from this cast a female die, A, is made in zine. The female die is then placed on the anvil B of the press and incased by a frame, C, which surrounds it and projects above the face of the die. The platen D of the press, with headed screws d al passing through and projecting down from it, is then let down to the position shown in Fig. 4. Molten lead is then poured into the frame C and upon the female die until it comes about to the top of said frame and covers the heads of the bolts d, thus forming the male die E. The nuts of the bolts d are then screwed up until the male die is drawn up tightly against the face of the platen or drop D. The dies are now ready for use. The drop D is drawn up to its full height, as seen in Fig. 3. Sheets of zinc, about four or five in number, which have been previously highly heated, are placed upon the female die, and the drop let fall several times.

These are again taken from between the dies and reheated and again subjected to the action of the dies. rIhis operation is repeated four or five times, when the sheets are separated. The same operation is repeated with two sheets at a time. These are several times reheated and subjected to the action of the dies, when they are again separated and a single sheet reheat'ed and acted upon, as before, until the design is fullyA brought'out. By this means the metal is prevented from cracking, and the design, whatever it may be, is stamped up clean and sharp. After the plate is completed it may be bent around in a curve or any desired shape upon a former, after which it is painted and finished up in any style desired.

The press, Figs. 3 and 4, may be of any approved pattern. The one I have selected for operating with is the ordinary drop-press, consisting of tWo uprights, F, the anvil being located at the bottom and the drop adapted to slide vertically between metal guides f. The machine is driven by a cog, G, on the main shaft g. A counter-shaft, located directly behind the main shaft, has a pulley, H, upon it, to which pulley is secured one end of a belt, I, the opposite end of the belt being secured to the drop D. Upon this shaft is also a friction-pulley, J, to engage with a smaller friction -pulley, K, secured upon the main shaft g. The bearing on the right side of the main shaft g has lateral play in guides in the upper end of one of the posts F, by which the pulley K is brought into or out of contact with the friction-pulley .I on the countershaft by a lever, L. When the lever brings the friction-pulleysJ and K together, the belt is wound around pulley H, and the drop D is elevated to the distance required, when the friction-pulleys J Kare separated by the reverse movement of the lever, and the drop falls of its ownweiglit. Any suitable means may be employed to retain the drop in the upper position while the plates are being placed in position on the anvil or removed from it.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The hereindescribed process of forming sheet-'metal signs, which consists in the folfully brought out, substantially as shown and lowing steps, to Wit: the subjecting of several described. plates to the action of male and female dies of soft metal, while in a, heated state, and, after l JOHN MEYER' 5 partially forming the design, separating the Attest:

sheets and again subjecting them in the heated JNO. W. STREHLI,

state to the same process until the design is C. W. MILES. 

